Right There
by bonniereads
Summary: 3-shot. Derek breaks his leg during practice, and avoids everyone. Who else would come and take care of him like she always does? Sam gets fed up with them being clueless to their feelings for one another, and sets things in motion for Derek to get with the program before it's too late. How will Derek handle the revelation of his new found feelings for his step sister?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, this is something I had in my head and it was going to a one-shot, but decided on a short 3-shot fic**

**Enjoy:)**

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Casey always knew how to handle Derek through any given situation. When he's being a jerk to his siblings, she sets him straight with the snap of her fingers and a sassy glare. When he was teasing her and pranking her, she scold him and call him enough names to satisfy him into going to his room an keeping quiet. When he was in a particular mood, and nobody knew how to handle it, Casey was up in his room giving him a piece of her mind, making him laugh and become normal again.

It was all so effortless, really.

Now, when Derek broke his leg during a hockey practice at Queens, he shut himself out, and made himself a stranger to his friends and family. He wasn't returning phone calls, emails, and refused to answer his door. He only left his apartment for class, and even then he made himself scarce. Obviously, this was a job for a certain step-sister.

Considering she wasn't his friend and refused to acknowledge him as her family, she was still slightly offended when he ignored her call. Not that she was surprised, of course, but offended nonetheless.

"Derek, cut the crap, and let me in." Casey banged on his apartment door not twenty minutes after he ignored her call. Instantly, a stereo was turned up, and she saw the blindes close. She rolled her eyes.

With quick thinking, she bounded down the steps of the apartment complex, and found the Prince parked in it's regular space. Being that she'd one this hundreds of times in the few years they'd been at Queens, she knew exact;y where his spare key to the front door was. As always, she was right and found it taped near the front right tire.

With a grin, she easily made her way inside, placing a few bags on the couch. She'd get to all that later.

Not to her surprise, the apartment was a mess, but not so much more than usual. Derek was always messy. This wasn't new. Without making her way to his room, she quickly grabbed a large garbage bag and filled it with the waste and empty pizza boxes that were splayed out across the counters and floor. That took all of five minutes before she started the dishes, which didn't take long at all, considering that he drank from the cartons and used paper plates. Quickly, she wiped down all counters and pulled out the Swiffer she'd gotten him as a gift when he first moved into his apartment and cleaned out the living room and kitchen. She spent about twenty more minutes on his bathroom.

On any other day, Casey would go into much finer detail when it came to a mess like this, but this would have to do. For now.

Now, she made her way to Derek's room, where the music was still booming out of his speakers. Without knocking (because c'mon, it'd be pointless over that racket), she barged in and made her way to his surround sound system.

Through the corner of her eyes, she saw him sprawled out pathetically on his bed in nothing but his black boxer briefs and the obvious white cast and boot he was forced to wear around his left foot.

Before she'd made it to the sound system, she saw him shoot out of bed (one crutch under his arm) immediately blocking her way. Before he was able to stop her, though, she'd grabbed the remote and turned it off.

"Casey, leave me alone!" He yelled, towering over her the best he can, but only managing it at an angle.

"Why aren't you answering anyone's calls, Der?" she challenged him, putting her hands on her hips, and looking up at him. He was a mess, and she didn't need the light to be turned on to see that. He needed a good shave and shower.

Derek huffed, annoyed that she was the only person who wasn't intimidated by him. "I have to find a different hiding place for that stupid key." he grumbled, tossing his crutch on the floor, and throwing himself on his bed.

"Derek." she said. He only groaned and made a shooing motion with his hand. "Der, either you get out of bed, or it's going to be ugly."

"Because I'm so scared of the keener." he said, and faced away from her.

"You've left me no choice." With that, she made her way to the kitchen, grabbing the bucket she'd just cleaned out to mop the restroom when the Swiffer wasn't cutting it.  
Without thought, she put in a couple handfuls of ice, and made her way to the restroom, filling it with the coldest water she can. Casey McDonald meant business.

"One more chance, Venturi." she warned him once she made it back to her room.

"Case, keep it down, your nagging is about to rupture my ear drum."  
Without another word, the ice bucket of cold water was poured on him, and he sat up with a gasp of air. She unceremoniously tossed the bucket to the side and met his glare.

"What the _fuck_, Casey!?" he yelled louder than she expected him to. She flicked the lights on, and stood over him, hands back on her hips.

"Get up, and take a shower. I can smell you from the parking lot. I'm not sorry for what I've just done, but I will gladly throw your blanket and sheets in the wash."

"Alright, Space Cadet, how 'bout you leave before I cut all your hair off." Derek glared at her. Casey briefly flinched, grabbing onto a brown lock, then instantly rolled her eyes.

"You probably couldn't even catch me. Anyways, take a shower, jerk, before they condemn this place purely because of your own stink." She made her way out, leaving his light on and door wide open.

"I hate you." He called after her. She smiled at that.

To Casey's satisfaction, she heard Derek turn the faucet on in the restroom, followed by the shower. With quick movements, she made her way to his room, grabbing his sheets and blanket, along with any other article of clothing that was left thrown around, mumbling the words "_Pig_" and "_Disgusting_" when she found garbage or dishes.

By the time Derek stepped out of the shower, he could smell the beginnings of a well thought out supper. To this his stomach gurgled. He hadn't had a decent meal that wasn't takeout in almost the whole month he'd been MIA. He made his way into the kitchen, phone in hand, and leaned his shoulder against he door frame as he watched Casey move around his kitchen. He was standing there a few minutes before she stilled briefly, and continued her business.

"Well, you certainly smell a lot better."

"Yeah, well some psychopath threw ice water all over me, almost getting my cast wet, I might add."

"Sounds like that psychopath was doing you a favor, eh?" she turned around finally, and he was glad to see a small smile on her face.  
She was pleased with herself. He'd actually shaven and put on clean clothes. He even had a little light in his eyes. The one he usually got when he was teasing her.

"There better be enough for me." he strode over beside her, his crutch bumping her on the shoulder as he stood next to her.

"Nope. Just me." she said coolly. "I just wanted to use your kitchen." she shrugged.

This was what Derek needed. He needed tough love and a good meal.  
"Well, your ass is getting huge, so you better give me at least half of it. Really, I'd be doing you a favor." he shrugged. She didn't even flinch at the fat joke, because that's how she took it. As a joke. This was the environment Derek needed. Not pushy phone calls asking him how he's holding up. She'd save that for later. She needed to have him fed and comfortable first.

"Well, asshole, seeing as I did make too much, maybe there's enough for you." she shrugged. "Consider it an early birthday gift." His birthday wasn't for another few months.

Derek only rolled his eyes. "So I see you cleaned up the place. Hope you're not expecting compensation."

"Believe me, it was a pleasure." she shook her head. She grabbed two glasses and served them both iced tea that she brewed while he was in the shower. She handed him his glass, and pulled his seat out for him, to which she gestured lazily so he could sit. He didn't say it out loud, but he appreciated that she put a small stool next to his chair to elevate his leg.  
With that, she served him a salad with his spaghetti and garlic bread, and took a seat next to him, and quietly ate.

"I have no idea how you ever manage to do all of this in short periods of time." he shook his head at his plate, and ate loudly next to her. She only shrugged, because to her this was normal. "So lay it on me." he said with his mouth full.

"Lay _what_ on you?" she cocked an eyebrow up at him wiping her mouth, and sitting back, leaving half of her food uneaten. Derek took the liberty of stealing a meatball, making her roll her eyes.

"The lecture. Why you're here. Just say it so you can go." he said rudely, and finished his food with an obnoxious burp.

"Alright..." she sat up straighter, shaking off the sting of the unappreciative tone of his voice. "You need to at least call George or your mom...or mine. They're used to you rarely calling as it is, but the fact that you've been ignoring them for well over a month now, is ridiculous, Der."

"Why do I need to call them now, you've already seen me, you can tell them yourself." he shrugged.

"Why are you being like this? Yeah, you broke your leg and can't play hockey for a few more weeks, big deal." she shook her head. "Move on already!"

"You don't get it." he shook his head.

"I get that you're being a spoiled brat! Your friends are asking about you. Even Sam called me. Why haven't you been in the quad with him lately? He's been trying to hangout with you everyday since that practice." Casey scolded him, talking faster and louder.  
Derek didn't answer her. He only sat in the silence and glared at his plate, trying to control his temper.

Swiftly, Casey collected his dishes and hers and set them up in the sink for a wash.  
"Look, I'm sorry I'm being so harsh, but you need to snap out of it, Derek. Stop pushing everyone away, would you?" she said softly. When he didn't answer, she sighed. "Have you at least spoken to Maggie?"

"She dumped me a few days after I'd broken my leg." he mumbled.

Casey stilled. Derek had been dating Maggie for three years now. She never particularly liked Maggie, but Derek never stayed in relationships that long, so she assumed he had real feeling for her. Maggie had a bad attitude and was always reapplying her makeup or perfume. Every time she left, Casey knew Derek would open the windows to air the place out.

"What?" Casey turned around, still not understanding that Derek and Maggie were no longer an item.

He only shrugged. "She said she couldn't be seen with someone who's social status was going to be non-existent any day now. Whatever that means."

"That _bitch_." She covered her mouth after the word left her lips. Derek looked up at her and smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry." she said softly. He shrugged again and shook his head.

"Guess I should've seen it coming. I heard she was going out with James recently." James was the player that was temporarily replacing Derek while he healed.

"Is that why you're holed up here?" She took a seat next to him. Derek wasn't typically a sharer, but when he was down enough, Casey knew he was like a patient talking to his therapist.

"Partly...plus it's too depressing to see my hockey friends anymore, including Sam. I'm jealous that they still get to play and I have to stay here." he gestured around the room.

"You'll be back out there in a few weeks. It isn't forever, stupid." she said softly. He let out a low laugh at her insult combined with her nice voice. It was typical Casey.

"Maggie was right, though...My reputation is going to be non-existent, except probably the fact that I'm officially a has-been." Derek pressed his forehead against his table, and clasped his fingers behind his head. "I'm so pathetic."

"You really are. I'm calling Sam." Casey stood up and walked over to the living room where her purse was.

"What? _No_! Case, stop!" Derek reached around for his crutch and hobbled over to her, but she was already on the phone with his best friend before he got to her.

"Sammy, code pink. Come over." she said briefly and tossed her phone back in her bag.

"Code pink?" Derek cocked an eyebrow. Casey only shrugged, crossing her arms. "Case, I don't want to see anyone to constantly remind me about-"

"Shut it, Der!" she put her hand over his mouth, and stepped up to him so their chests were touching. "You're not throwing everything away just because you feel like nobody's going to think you're cool anymore. The Derek I knew didn't care what people thought of him, and that's why they thought he was cool." she slid her palm over to his cheek, and cradled it. "Now stop being such a _girl_." with that last word, she gave him a light slap, and turned to the kitchen.

"Not that I'm saying you're right...but I hate when you're right." He called towards her. To that, her laughter instantly rang out.

Derek plopped himself on the couch, and next to her purse was a bag full of his favorite movies, still encased in plastic, which meant she just bought them. He flipped through them, and grinned. When did Casey get to know him so well?

"Another early birthday present." she walked back in from the kitchen, and reached in her purse for her phone, flicking through it quickly. "Sam's on his way up."  
With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and slid her flats onto her feet. "You better get your act together, Der. I'm coming back tomorrow. I'll call your dad, but you better cut the crap and get out of this..." she waved her arms around, "whatever it is." She looked around the room to be sure she wasn't forgetting anything, and there was a knock on the door. "Your sheets are cleaned and I made your bed. Try and keep this house decent until I come back tomorrow."

"Don't come back, Casey, I'm fine." he tried for a nicer tone.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Casey walked to the door, and swung the door open. Derek saw his best friend and instantly felt guilt ride over him. This was someone he should always feel comfortable with.

Sam's arms wound around Casey, and hugged her to his body. Derek didn't like the gesture, but didn't comment on it. It wasn't his place to say anything about their friendship anymore.

"How is he?" Sam asked casually, walking over to Derek, and putting his hands on his hips.

"Being a baby, as usual. Do your worst, Sammy."

"What, you're leaving?" Sam looked over to her, brows furrowed.

"Yeah, I have a paper due tomorrow and I promised coffee to this guy in my economics course." she shrugged on a sweater. Nobody noticed Derek making a face at the fact that she had a date to go on. "Derek." she pointed at him, and gave him a slight glare, not saying much else, then turning her attention to their mutual friend. "Sam...good luck." she shook her head, and walked out.

"Please tell me she cooked." Sam walked to the kitchen, finding a plate served for him, covered in foil. "I swear...I should've wifed her while I had the chance." he shook his head.  
Derek rolled his eyes.

The night mainly consisted of them watching movies, and Sam encouraging him to get out of the damn apartment. Derek only groaned and apologized to his best friend. He didn't sugar coat why he was staying in. He told him everything he'd told Casey. When he was done, Sam lectured him the same as Casey, not afraid to be harsher, if anything.

"I can't believe Maggie." Sam shook his head.

"Yeah..." Derek shook his, too. "Casey called her a bitch." he chuckled.

Sam laughed a hearty laugh. "I believe that. Maggie was a bitch, but she saved a particular bitchiness for Casey. Good riddance."

"What do you mean a particular bitchiness?"

"C'mon, Der." Sam laughed. "You have to notice the sudden chill the room got when they were both in the presence of one another. Why do you think it's been months since we all hungout with Casey?"

Derek shrugged. "I just figured the Princess got another boyfriend or something." he said the word boyfriend distastefully, but Sam didn't comment on it. He never did when Derek acted jealous about Casey.

"Well, Maggie was jealous of Casey. Must be a hot girl thing." Sam said. "Most hot girls don't get along. They especially don't get along when their boyfriend is always with someone that's hotter than them."

Derek scoffed and threw a pillow in Sam's direction. "Don't ever say Casey McDonald is hotter than any of my girl friends ever again!" He shivered.

"Uh, Earth to Derek! She _is_ hotter than any of your girlfriends. Why do you think they all hated her?"

"For the same reasons_ I_ do? She's always around nagging and trying to take care of me when she thinks I need help." Derek threw his arm over his eyes and tried to shield out the conversation.

"Some people actually see that as endearing. It doesn't help that Casey doesn't know that she's hot shit. She's humble, and that pisses girls off even more. You just see her as annoying because you think she's your sister that you can't get rid of." Sam said, nonchalantly eating another piece of garlic bread.

"Casey is not my sister, I refuse to acknowledge her as such, and so will you." Derek declared. To that, Sam turned and cocked his eyebrow up at him. "What?" Derek made a face.

"Why isn't she your sister?" a knowing smile spread across Sam's lips, and Derek was speechless. He only shook his head with his mouth hung open. "C'mon, Derek. You always tell me not to call her your sister. What is she to you?"

"She's Casey! She's...She's a...Dammit, Sam, what kind of mind games are you trying to play with me?" Derek stood up impatiently grabbing his crutch, and glared down at his longtime best friend.

"I'm not trying to play any mind games with you, Derek." Sam looked up at him with an amused smile. "I just want to know after about eight years of Casey living with you, you never once wanted to call her your sister, yet you can't stay away from her."

"I always try to get away from her!" Derek immediately defended himself. "She's just always there! Like today, I asked her to leave, and she dumped an ice cold bucket of water on me, telling me to suck it up!"

"Why would she do that?" Sam crossed his arms, and leaned back further into a couch. Now they were getting somewhere.

"I don't know, because she's infuriating?" Derek paced the room. "I can go on all day, really. She loves to do this. She loves to take care of people. She saw an opportunity, and she took it. It wasn't because it was just me, she did it because Casey needs to take care of people to sleep at night." Derek said harshly,

Sam stood up, too, halting Derek from his pacing, and stuffed his hands into his pockets, still expressing that knowing grin on his face. "While all of that may be true, Venturi, you're also wrong." he said, and pushed Derek onto the couch, taking away his crutch and pretending to walk around the room with it while Derek watched.  
"Sure, she's infuriating. Believe me, I remember. And, yeah, she likes to take care of people, but is that really a flaw?" Sam held up his hand before Derek could answer him. "Don't answer that." He put his hand down, and continued. "But did you ever stop to think that she did this for you because she specifically cares about you? Honestly, Derek, if anyone can read Casey McDonald better than anyone else, it's you, and you know it."

"Difference is, I don't care about her." Derek shrugged and looked away. He felt Sam's eyes on him, and he groaned throwing his head back. "Okay, I care about her. I'm not a fucking robot, Sam."

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Sam exhaled, and sat on the coffee table across from Derek. "So you care about her...and?" Sam nodded at Derek as if to encourage him to speak more.

"And what?" Derek asked stupidly.

"God, Derek, do I have to spell it out for you? I'm tired of waiting for the two of you to open your eyes!" Sam exclaimed.

"What are you talking about now?" Derek asked, offended by his friends tone.

"You and Casey are in _love_ with each other!" Sam yelled. "God!" Sam was standing over Derek now, waiting for a reaction, but all he got was a big fat moment of silence.  
Derek's mouth hung open wide, and he blinked stupidly, because what the hell? Why on God's green Earth would Sam ever even consider that Derek was in-_ugh_-love-_bleh_-with Casey McDonald (_shudder_).  
Sam grinned, and gave Derek a few seconds to ponder what he just said while he patted him on the shoulder and told him he was fixing them both a drink.

Derek took his time. Sure, he cared about Casey, but honestly, why wouldn't he? She was the reason he even graduated high school...or even gotten this far in college, really. She always did his laundry and cleaned up his apartment for him. Isn't that what most mother-like figures did, anyway? Casey was practically a mom. A very hot mom. Ugh..._gross_...  
He shook the mom thought out of his head. Okay.  
So she took care of him all the time. He'd already established that with Sam, though. What else?  
She was probably the only girl he knew that could take his harsh criticism and sarcasm. Actually, she was probably the only girl who can shoot it straight back at him. That thought made him smile.  
Think harder, Derek. Why else could there be a possibility of feelings there?  
Then it all came crashing down.  
Derek hated when Casey ever had boyfriends. He hated when she would miss a call for him, or take too long to reply to his text messages. He always got that awful feeling when he saw her talking to other guys on FaceBook, or in the quad at school. Whenever someone else made her smile, he'd always try to steal her away from him and talk to her until she was smirking along insults with him. Typically, she was the first person he thought to talk to everyday. The mere thought of life without Casey honestly made him sick to is stomach.

"I see you've put it together." Sam laughed and handed a glass to Derek, to which Derek threw back quickly, feeling the burn slide down his throat.

He groaned and leaned back into the couch, throwing his arm over his eyes. "Why _Casey_, though?"

"I don't know." Sam shrugged and took a sip of his drink easily. "It took me a while to see it. I don't know when I figured it out completely, but today it really settled it when Casey called me asking if I'd seen you...and then she cussed me out for not bothering to come over." he laughed

"Don't expect me to apologize for her." Derek rolled his eyes.

"No...I needed the cussing out. I should've stepped up to the plate before her, but I thought you had things under control." he sighed, and stood up. "Seeing as she took the liberty of doing your laundry, cleaning your house, making you dinner, and making sure you had entertainment," he gestured at the pile of DVDs. "I don't even know why I'm here except to tell you that you need to step up your game with her before it's too late."

"Doubt it'd ever be too late."

"I don't know, Der. I saw the guy that asked her out earlier. He was pretty hot. And he had a pile of books. You know how Casey digs smart guys." Sam teased him.

"Please. Don't even insult me." Derek smirked at his friend confidently.

"Really, though, Derek...you need to open your eyes and realize what's right-fucking-there." Sam pat his head. "I'll be over in a few days. Busy with classes and girls and whatnot."

With that, his best friend left.  
Derek groaned, and threw himself across the couch and covered his face with his hands. Curse his best friend for throwing all of this feelings crap on him when he was still in depression mode over not being able to play hockey and practically losing everything that was important to him the moment he broke his leg.  
Regardless of the revelation that was discovered tonight, he decided he wouldn't act on those...ugh..._feelings_ until he knew for sure it was mutual between him and Casey.

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**The next chapter will be up in a couple days. It's already written, just need to edit. **

**I know I suck and haven't updated any of my fics, but I'm in the midst of writer's block -_-. Don't hate me. This story will hopefully make up for it.**

**Please review, and tell me what you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's a long one, enjoy:)**

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Derek hurriedly made his way back to his apartment, only stopping once when one of his hockey mates stopped him to see how he was holding up. Derek brushed him off by saying that he was keeping busy. He made a quick excuse to leave his friend when he saw the questions about to bubble from his team mate's mouth.

He walked into the apartment, and was glad to be away from prying eyes. Everyone wanted to know how he was doing, and he just wanted to be left alone. It was easy to ignore people. He'd been doing it his whole life, after all.

He was trying his best all day to not think about what Sam had made him realize the night before. He didn't want to dwell on it for too long, because it was _Casey_. Whether he liked to say it out loud or not, she was sort of his family; as much as he hated to admit that.  
But when he really thought about it, he'd met her when he was a teenager. They weren't blood related. He hadn't grown up with her, so he didn't have that sibling bond with her. Hell, he'd dated and slept with girls he'd known his whole life and everyone thought that was normal. What was the difference between him and Casey? The only dent on their relationship would be that their parents married while they were in high school.  
_Stop, Derek._  
Don't get ahead of yourself. You can't just automatically assume Sam was right about mutual feelings. Hell...he didn't even know if he had feelings. It was too confusing.

You can imagine his confusion when he stepped out of the shower a few hours later and Casey was in a very sexy black dress and heels with her hair neatly curled, working in the kitchen. She wore a pink apron, and was standing on a small stool, loading his cabinets while something boiled on the stove. He instantly thought of old ads from the 50s where the housewives looked absolutely perfect with their hair and makeup while they took care of their homes.

"You look very domestic." he spoke out loud to her.

Casey jumped at his voice, and turned her head to glare at him. He saw her lip twitch when he guessed she noticed that he'd showered. The small movement of her lip made his stomach flip flop. He suddenly felt like such a girl. Just because Sam thinks there's something going on, definitely doesn't mean there is. Nothing has changed.

"Well, someone has to be domestic around here. Put those groceries away, would you?" she pointed at the bags on his counter.

"You're not moving in here, are you?" he cocked an eyebrow up at her, and carried the food to his fridge, noting that they were all his favorite foods.

"No." she said firmly. "You needed groceries, so I went and got you some. You're welcome." she flipped her hair over her shoulder, but kept stirring the stew in the pot.

"You're not using your own money, are you? Because I can't pay you back." he balled the plastic bags up and put them all into one bag under the counter.

"You don't have to. My dad gives me money every semester. I never use it, so it's just piling up in the bank." she waved it off. "You needed groceries, Der." she shrugged, looking at him briefly, and back to the stew.

"You don't need to do this."

Casey turned her head and gave him a knowing look. "Don't be stupid, Derek. You'd do the same for me." she was momentarily serious, and broke the moment by saying "Of course, you'd probably make me mac-n-cheese everyday instead of real meals." a small laugh escaped her.

"You never complained before." he smirked, and pinched her side, getting a small squeak out of her. "So what's this for?" he fingered the dress, pulling at the fabric around her hip, hoping she wouldn't care that he suddenly wanted to touch her. He shook off that thought because he just realized that he'd always made little movements like this; what with touching her randomly or twirling her hair around his finger. He'd always done this. Why was he now realizing that his movements had always meant something this whole time?  
"Got a hot date?" he asked, trying not to sound too nosey. The fact that she might say yes infuriated him for a moment, but he mentally slapped himself, because even if she did have a date, it shouldn't be his business.

"No. Work. I go in at 7." she said simply. He'd forgotten that Casey was a hostess at some fancy restaurant in town. He glanced at the clock and felt both happy that she wasn't leaving for another hour, and that she wasn't dressed this nice for another guy.

"Good, because I'm pretty sure any guy would bolt if he saw you in this hideous thing." He countered his thoughts with the opposite of what he was thinking.

Of course, he was quite predictable with things like this, because Casey saw right through him, and smiled. "_Please_. You would be lucky if any girl dressed like this for you."

"If a girl is dressed like you, I definitely wouldn't call it luck." he pulled a face, tugging on a lock of her hair.

"De-rek!" she reached to smack his arm, but he caught her wrist, and playfully tugged her so her back was against his chest, and he heard the air knock out of her. He'd gotten her in this situation plenty of times, but today he realized the effect it had on her. He felt her skin heat up, and her breathing grow slow and heavy.  
Although her reaction showed him she wanted the closeness, she was tugging away. On any other occasion, he'd mess up her hair to piss her off, but he liked when it was bouncy in curls he was sure she spent a lot of time on. So, instead, he tickled her.  
Instantly, she giggled, and fell against him as he put his arms around her belly to continue his attack. She squirmed, and playfully slapped his arms to stop, and grabbing at his hands to pull them off of her. The sizzling from the stove got her attention.

"Der, you're going to make me burn my stew!" she cried through her laughter.

"Burn!" he yelled to the stew as if it were a person. To that, she burst out laughing, and almost doubled over, but Derek caught her, and laughed with her.

"You're such an idiot." she tried catching her breath. Derek stopped tickling, and held her against him, his hands still at her belly. They both caught their breath, and were easily breathing. Casey reached over to the stove, and turned it off, resting her hands on the counter in front of her. Derek's arms hadn't escaped her waste, and she wasn't fighting it anymore.  
She tried to slowly stir the food while he looked over her shoulder, his chin pressed against the crook of her neck.

"Whatch-ya cookin'?" he asked softly. Derek didn't know why he was still holding her, but she wasn't giving him crap for it, so he held her. It felt nice, and a little too natural.

"Beef stew. I have some potatoes in the oven." she said softly. "By the way, if you don't start using your crutch, I'm going to super glue it to your armpit." she threatened him.

"Awe, Princess, if I had my crutch, we wouldn't be having this lovey moment we're having right now." he teased her with a tighter hug against him. She laughed, and finally pushed him away.

"Go get your crutch." she elbowed him.

He leaned in, and squeezed her hips one final time, and murmured into her ear, "Fine." And he hobbled off.

Casey got that feeling in her stomach again after he left. She knew her feelings were always there, but since when was Derek this touchy? He'd always liked to tug at her clothes or her hair to get a rise out of her, but today was definitely different. She couldn't be imagining this. He never just stood and held her. Ever.  
Maybe he's just lonely and appreciates the company.  
Yes. That has to be it.  
She had accepted a long time ago that the feelings were never going to be mutual between the two of them, and she was tired of waiting around. Of course, she never brought it up, because Derek was always so concerned about his reputation (which was confirmed the day before when he was ranting about no longer having a reputation anymore); and who would want to be known as the guy who was dating his stepsister? She knew Derek would not want to be that guy. Especially when he could have any girl on campus. What would he want with her anyways?  
She knew she was annoying, sure, but she needed to take care of him. She just knew if she was in a funk like this, Derek wouldn't stand for it. It was just what they did. She had a smart mouth, but she couldn't help it. He was just so rude, she couldn't control the things she said out loud when he was talking to her.

Casey shook her head. She wouldn't get her hopes up just because Derek held her longer than usual after one of their moments. She couldn't let herself get her hopes up. Her feelings were fragile things when it came to wondering what Derek Venturi really thought of her. Although it was too easy to read him when he was 'insulting' her, it was also difficult when it came to matters of whether or not he fancied her company.  
If he really wanted her gone, he knew what buttons to push, and he'd pushed them before. That often resulted in her tilting her chin up and grabbing her things while she bolted to the door.  
Of course, he'd often try to stop her, apologizing and taking back what he'd said. By then, she'd already shed a few tears, instantly seeing the guilt on his face once he saw them. Those were the moments where he would pull her into a hug and apologize into her hair.  
She simply had to see the gesture as Derek being flirtatious Derek. He'd been more openly touching her like this since they came to college. It was easier to get into random play fights when no one was there to stop them. Not that she was really complaining.

The next week, Sam spotted Casey reading in the quad. It was moments like this that he regretted never trying to rekindle the old flame. She looked absolutely gorgeous dressed in her winter clothes reading her book alone at that table. She was also picking at a sandwich she'd probably purchased at the deli down the street. He'd run into her there on a few occasions. Of course, it was always Derek's idea to go there and every time he suggested the place, Casey just so happened to be there as well.

Sam walked over to her table and grinned. "Typical keener in her natural habitat."

She glanced up and her lips quirked up ever so slightly. "I would've guessed Derek to say something like that, not you, Sammy. I'm so disappointed." she tisked at him, but gestured happily across from herself so that he could sit with her.

"Somebody has to fill in for Derek while he's being a baby." Sam laughed. Casey smiled. "How is he?"

"Better. Not being a baby at all, actually. He's starting to hang around school more. I think he's still afraid to talk to people about when he'll be back on the ice. Which will be soon, I guess." she shrugged. Derek had visited his doctor, and will only have the boot for another week and a half. He was grateful for that bit of good news.

"And then you won't have a reason to take care of him, or spend so much time with him." Casey didn't miss the amusement in his eyes.

"Will you cut that out? Derek doesn't love me." She snapped at him, feeling her walls go back up. "And I would've done it no matter how I feel. You know that."  
It was only recently that she'd confessed to Sam about maybe kinda having feelings for Derek. He wouldn't leave her alone since. Sam liked to be that one friend who made teasing faces when the other person's crush randomly flirted with them. That was part of the reason Casey had to stop hanging out with Derek and Sam. He was making it uncomfortable for her to even be teased by Derek. That, and Maggie always gave her a hard time for hanging around.

Sam noticed her defensive posture and wanted to slap himself. He reached over the table, and grabbed her hand, squeezing it with his own. "Hey, I'm sorry. Look at me." She looked up at him from under her lashes, her chin down. "I don't mean to tease you all the time, you know that? I can't help it."

Casey smiled warmly at him, and nodded. "I think I'm starting to accept that he doesn't want me like that." she shrugged. "It's just hard when he's always touching me."

"Case...trust me. Just give it time. He'll definitely come around." Sam nodded. He didn't want to tell her about the breakthrough, because that was something he wanted to happen on it's own. He just needed to give Derek the little push.

"He's been acting so weird lately." she shook her head. "He's always trying to touch my hair or tickle me. Yesterday, we got in a wrestling match, and I swear, Sammy, he almost _kissed_ me."

"Did he now?" Sam cocked an eyebrow up at her. Casey blushed furiously remembering the close proximity. They were obviously fighting over the remote, nothing shocking there. Eventually, Derek had her pinned to the ground, one hand holding both her hands while he tried to reach under her for the remote. Then his hands had forgotten their journey and stopped at her waste, his thumb caressing her rib cage just under her breast. He was leaning in when his phone went off, and he pushed himself off of her to go retrieve it.

"I feel like he does feel something for me, but after we have a moment, he totally forgets it happens and turns into a jerk again." Casey looked down at her hand that was still entwined with Sam's and back up at him. "It's messing with my head..."

"Time, Case. Time." he smiled reassuringly at her, and squeezed her hand.

"What's going on here?" a teasing, yet stern voice came from beside them. Casey yanked her hand away from Sam, but Sam grinned, and grabbed it back.

"Oh, hey, Der. Just rekindling the old flame with Casey here. Not big deal." He shrugged, bringing Casey's fingers to his lips. To that, Casey giggled and fluttered her eyelashes playfully at Sam.  
Derek instantly picked up that they were joking, but that didn't mean he liked it any.

"Okay, not in front of me, please." he growled. Casey took her hand away from Sam, and smiled at Derek. He took that as a good sign. "So what're you cooking for me tonight, Spacey?" he nudged her side so she could scoot over, and he placed his crutch against the table, plopping his bag loudly on the table.

"Who says I'm going over?" She cocked an eyebrow up at him.

"Please. You'll be there. You live for that shit." he laughed, and reached over to snag a banana pepper from her sandwich, plopping it in his mouth. She bit her lip when she saw him lick his own, and she looked over at Sam. He tried his best to hide a teasing smile, and she scowled at him.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll find other plans." she shrugged, picking bread up, and popping it in her mouth. She licked a little mustard off her finger, and glanced up at Derek. He was watching her finger slide out of her mouth and she caught him. He was in a daze, so she turned her head and grabbed her phone for a distraction.  
Sam watched them closely. There was definitely more unresolved sexual tension than usual.

"You're coming, though, right?" he asked her softly, nudging her side with his elbow. She glanced up with a blush and nodded. He smiled a smile that made her feel things that Derek was capable of. "Good..." he glanced up, noticing Sam staring intently at them. "_Erm_-because I need someone to scrub my toilet bowl." he said louder than expected.

Casey's face turned a different shade of red, and she scowled. "God, you're such a jerk." She huffed, standing up and grabbing her things. "Maybe I _will_ find other plans."

"Awe, Case, c'mon!" it wasn't Derek that tried to stop her, but Sam. "He's only teasing you!"

Casey was already walking away when she called over her shoulder. "I don't care." And she knew he was teasing, but she really hated when he made her feel warm and fuzzy just to rip it away from her. It wasn't fair on her feelings.

"Now what'd you go and do that for?" Sam looked at Derek who wore a guilty face of his own.

"I didn't think she'd take it that far up the butt." he shrugged, and decided to finish her sandwich since she'd left it there.

"It's not fair for you to act all in love with her and randomly act like a jerk. It'll mess with her head too much."

"I don't act in love with her!" Derek stood, chomping down the last of the sandwich, and grabbed his bag. He'd only come to sit there because Casey was there. "She'll get over it. Trust me, she'll be there tonight." he rolled his eyes

"We'll see." was all Sam said to him.

Derek was genuinely surprised to see that Casey didn't show up that night. He waited about an hour or two after she usually showed up, and realized she wasn't coming. The feeling of her absence was unsettling. He instantly reached for his phone and called her.  
Again, to his surprise, his call was ignored. He tried a few more times and sent texts out. No reply. Eventually, he got frustrated, and decided to pay her a visit. Casey lived in an apartment with three other girls. They weren't particularly nice girls, and they were especially rude to Derek every time he went over, which was why it was so rare that he did.

When he hobbled up the steps on his crutch, he rung the doorbell. When the door itself swung open, he instantly smelled sugar. It was a smell that he assumed came with all girls, but it was how Casey always smelled, and it gave him a warm feeling, even though the girl who answered was anything but sweet in comparison to the smell.

"What do you want, Derek?" Tanya, the small, feisty girl in front of him asked angrily. This girl never liked him. Not for a minute. Derek only assumed it was because he was too handsome for life. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Casey, obviously, Tanya." He rolled his eyes, matching her attitude.

"Well, go." she rolled her eyes, walking away from the door.

Derek, as quickly as he could, made his way down the hall, and knocked on her door. He heard rustling.

"I'm busy!" she called out. That was her studying voice. Derek knew it anywhere. He knocked once more, and he heard her groan from the other side. He briefly wondered what he was doing there, instantly wanting to leave. That all changed when Casey answered wearing a belly-showing tank top and leggings. She was wearing her glasses and Derek could only think of a sexy nerd.

"What are you doing here?" she looked up somewhat hopefully at him and bit her lip.

"You didn't show up. I'm hungry." he shrugged.

Casey scoffed, and started closing her door. "Go home, Derek." he heard her voice wavering. This was what Sam was talking about. The whole mixing up her emotions. Casey didn't deserve this.

"No, Case!" he grabbed at the door, and pushed it. "I'm sorry. Please..." he tried walking in, but she stood her ground.

"No, Derek." he saw the stern look in her eye. "I'm tired of doing everything for you, and I haven't heard one thank you yet. I hate you treating me like crap, and I'm just trying to be there for you. Now go." she shoved him. He tossed his crutch into the room, and grabbed both of her hands to stop her pushing so he could push her all the way in.  
Once inside, he slammed the door, and locked it.

"De-rek!" she screeched, shoving him as hard as she could. "I hate you!"

To that, he grabbed both of her hands again and put them around him. He instantly put his around her, too, and held her. She didn't fight that, because Lord knew she loved being this close to him and with his permission.  
She was still breathing heavily, though, and Derek slowly walked with her towards the middle of the room, only slightly limping with the height distance of the boot and his regular shoe.

"I'm sorry." he whispered against her hair, rubbing her back with his palms, and pushing a kiss against her temple.

"You're not..." her rebellion didn't match her tone, but that was because she was suddenly in a daze from the touch of his lips on her skin. "You always say rude things, which I'm used to. It's just..." she shook her head, and pushed away from him so she could think more clearly.

"I _do_ appreciate you, Casey. God, do I appreciate you..." he shook his head, and sat on her bed, trying to come up with the words to tell her how much he really did appreciate her.  
She sat next to him, and sighed.

"It just seems like you like freeloading off my food and cleanliness than actually appreciating the gesture or my company at all." she shrugged, and wrapped her arms around herself, not looking at him. He was looking at her, though. He sat on the bed facing towards her, silently hoping this feeling of guilt would go away.

"That isn't true, Case. You know that. If I didn't enjoy your company, I'd carry you out the door myself. Trust me." He placed a hand on her shoulder. She glanced down at it, and looked away.

"I wish I could carry you out right now."

He laughed. "You couldn't if you tried." To that she elbowed him.

"Shut it, Venturi!"  
He grabbed her, and held her against him, whispering _Sorry_ into her hair a few times. It took a few seconds, but eventually she relaxed against him, and he lay with her sideways on the bed, holding her back to his chest. He nuzzled his ear into her hair and he heard her sigh deeply.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked after a few minutes, running her fingers over his that were holding her by her middle, slowly caressing his fingers.

"Because..." he tightened his hold. "I need you to know I care about you, and I really do appreciate what you've been doing for me. Nobody would've done that, and I'd still be holed up in my apartment eating popcorn or chips for dinner."

She turned in his arms, so she could face him, clutching his shirt at his chest and looking up at him. "It's really nice to hear that." she whispered. His fingers trailed down to her lower back where the curve of her bottom began, but not going further.

"I mean it, though..." he pressed his forehead to hers, and suddenly this was just like the wrestling the day before. Except he knew his phone was on silent, so that couldn't stop them this time. "Nobody..._nobody_ knows me like you do, Casey..." he whispered.

"I _know_ you?" she laughed softly, feeling him tense as her breath entered his mouth, but neither of them moved forward or back.

"Better than anyone, actually...nobody knows how to handle me..." and his lips were at the corner of her mouth, because he was scared to make it permanent at that moment.

"Derek." she whispered against his mouth. "What are we doing?" her breathing got heavier, and his did, too. Still, neither one of them let go of one another.

"I don't know, Casey...I don't know." he couldn't take his eyes off hers.  
Neither of them wanted to ruin it by saying it out loud, because both of them were afraid to say out loud what they really thought of each other, but it was obvious. They both officially knew, but it wasn't real until they talked about it out loud. They only held each other, fully aware of the other's body, until they drifted to sleep.

Derek left later, shaking her awake to tell her he was going. She only smiled shyly up at him, and with that one look, Derek knew he was a goner. He pressed a kiss on the corner of her mouth again, surprised when hers pressed to the corner of his, too. It nearly knocked the air out of him, and he feared what would happen if he'd really kissed her.

"I'll see you tomorrow. We need to talk about going home next week." she whispered, as if they were going to wake up the whole house. He nodded.

"I know. Come see me after you get out of class. I want to talk about _us_, too." he brushed her hair behind her ear. "I'll be waiting."

"Okay, Der." she smiled softly at him.

* * *

Casey was in high spirits the next day. She felt like Joseph Gordon-Levitt on 500 Days of Summer when he's dancing to Hall and Oates. She half expected a bird to come and land on her finger at one point, but she only giggled at the thought.

"You look extra happy today." Sam walked along side her after her class. "What's going on?"

"Well...Derek showed up at my house yesterday..." she bit her lip, trying to keep a squeal from coming out.

Sam beamed, and hugged her hard. "That's great, what happened?" he held onto her shoulders and waited impatiently for her to talk.

"He kissed me, not on my mouth...right here." she used her finger to point where it was. "He really seemed like he was trying to control himself, Sammy. I almost lost it, though!"

"Case, that's amazing, are you guys going to talk about it?"

"Today, I think, well right now! I mean, I have to go so we can talk about going home next week, but I assume we're going to determine the relationship, ya know? He _did_ say we were going to talk about _us_!" she blurted out hurriedly.

"Case, calm down!" he laughed, pulling her in for a hug. "You want me to walk with you?" he grinned down at her.  
She only shook her head quickly, barely containing the extremely girly noise that so desperately wanted to gurgle up her throat. "No, I might throw myself at him, and you might not want to see that." she said without breathing.

"Well, go get him!" Sam laughed, pushing her away.

Casey turned and walked as quickly as she could to Derek's apartment on campus. She had no idea how they were going to go about this, or even tell the family. It would probably only shock their parents, if anything. Lizzie was onto her since day one, and Edwin knows everything Lizzie does, if not more.

As she bound up the steps, something felt off. It was a smell in the air...perfume, maybe? She glanced up the stairs, and out of Derek's apartment was Maggie with a smug smile on her face, talking to Derek. He was talking to her, and she smiled up at him, reaching on her tip-toes to press a kiss to his lips.

Casey felt the air leave her, and she was glad she was holding onto the railing of the staircase. Otherwise, she'd be taking a nasty tumble.  
Before she knew it, Maggie was already walking down the stairs, noticing Casey for the first time, and rolling her eyes as she passed her.  
Casey looked back up the stairs to Derek's closed door. He didn't even know she was there. She had to let him know she was. She wasn't going to make herself look like an idiot by lunging at him and kissing him.

No. Things were obviously not the way she thought they were going to be. Derek didn't have feelings for her. Maybe he really was just showing brotherly appreciation to her yesterday...other than those random kisses. Probably the heat of the moment kind of thing. Yes.  
She quickly made her way to his door, and let herself in.  
Derek was sitting on his couch, staring at the blank TV. He glanced up at her, and she didn't miss the paleness of his face. He knew she'd seen. Just by looking at the disappointment on her face. He knew.

"Case..." he started.

"I can't stay long." she said coldly. "I have to work in half an hour." she lied as smoothly as she could, and Derek didn't buy it, but he didn't fight with her.

"Stop...I..." he stood up and walked towards her, trying to reach for her, but she backed up against the door, and let her arms stay stiff by her sides, not looking up at him.

"Wednesday, I get out at 3. I'll come by and we can leave then, yeah?" she said softly.

"Case...she was my girlfriend for three years..." he shook his head, trying to make her listen to him by putting his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at the ceiling, and bit her lip, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Is this your choice, Derek? To be with her after she dumped you for your lack of reputation?"

Derek stayed silent, taking his hands off her shoulders, and taking a step back. "Three years is a long time, Casey..." he whispered. "What do you and I really have going for us other than a whole lot of drama that we don't need right now?"

Casey's eyes met his, and she shook her head."Is that what I am to you? Drama?" she choked on a sob, and cleared her throat before she spoke again, looking him dead in the eyes so he knew she was serious. "I'm done waiting, Der." was all she said, before she swiftly opened the door, and left him standing there.

He didn't have time to go and get her, she was gone so fast.  
He simply stood there and realized what he'd just done and what he should've stopped. And god dammit, why was Maggie always able to persuade him into things when he knew they weren't the right thing?  
And then he realized what he'd just lost.  
_I'm done waiting, Der._  
Waiting? So she...Did Casey? Sam was right?  
Derek had spent all day pondering what their 'moment' could mean yesterday, and obviously it meant that there were feelings between them both and they were meant to talk about them until Maggie came along and blew that ship up.  
Casey loves him..._Loved_...  
Fuck, what did he just do?

* * *

**There is chapter two! Just one more**

**I super appreciate the love I'm getting on this fic. It's very encouraging!**

**I love reviews, please leave more? :)**

**The last chapter will be up in a few days.**

**What will happen next? Is Casey willing to give him another chance? We shall see!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here it is. Sorry if it's not that good. I'm don't do so well with conclusions.**

**Either way, enjoy:)**

* * *

Derek slumped into the front seat of the Prince. He hadn't tried calling Casey, because he knew she wouldn't pick up. He didn't want to believe that this was all beyond repair, but he'd already messed up and he'd never seen Casey look so...broken before.  
Not that he knew what to say, actually. Though, it would be nice for her to know just how awful he felt over it all. Not even Sam had spoken a word of anything. Once he found out what had happened between the two, Sam was suddenly quiet. He probably felt like he'd interfered enough.

So here he was, with Sam, in front of Casey's dorm, ready to get home for the Christmas holidays. Neither had spoken a word since Derek broke the news to Sam about what had gone down. It wasn't that he was mad, no. He just didn't know what to say. What could've gone wrong, and how could Derek have chosen Maggie over Casey?

Derek sighed, and looked at his best friend. His face looked pained, because Sam was supposed to be one of those people where he didn't have to think about emotions, but now it seems like even those barriers are broken.  
"I don't want what's happened between me and Casey to ruin our friendship, Sam."

Sam was silent for a while, and a grin broke across his face. "Took you long enough." To that, Derek scowled, and punched him on the arm. "Ow!" Sam laughed. "Dude, I'm not mad at you, I just feel bad for you."

"Why would you feel bad for me?" Derek asked.

"Because you're an idiot." Sam shrugged, and looked out the window. He was sure Derek wanted him to go and knock on the door to get Casey to hurry up so they can get going.

"Why am I an idiot?"

Sam turned back to him, and shook his head, "Because you've found the perfect girl for you, and you've tossed her aside."

"I didn't-I can't toss aside what I had never snagged to begin with!" Derek looked frustrated.

"You're kidding me, right?" Sam looked at him incredulously. Derek only shrugged, but didn't make eye contact with him. "Casey fucking loves you...well loved, at least." Sam shook his head.

"How would you even-" Derek saw the knowing look on Sam's face. "She told you, didn't she? She told you she had feeelings for me?"

"She didn't have to. I can see it plain as day, but yes. She did tell me." Sam shrugged, crossing his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me she told you?"

"I did."

"No, you only made it seem like you were wildly guessing because you could read us so well!" Derek looked so perplexed and lost.

"Why does that make a difference? Obviously after I told you what I did, you knew you had feelings, too, and you didn't act on them the way you should have. Hence, you losing her." Sam reached for the door-handle to go get Casey.

"I don't even see why any of this is your business." Derek huffed as his friend stepped out.

Sam peeked his head back in before shutting the door, and smiled. "It's not."

He waited patiently for her to open the door.  
Casey still looked like Casey. She didn't look like someone who got their heart ripped out of their chest. Derek tried to find a flaw. Possible weight gain or loss, tired or puffy eyes, anxiety...but no. Nothing. She looked...well perfect. Like nothing had happened at all. Sam must have said something funny, because she was laughing, and chatting with him while he helped her with her bags.

When her eyes met his, she paused a little, but smiled and waved at him, still talking to Sam. Derek smiled and nodded at her. Then, to piss them both off, and because he figured it was okay to be an asshole for a little while he honked over and over again until they got all the bags in the car, and hurriedly made their way inside.

"Would you shut up!" Casey shouted, shuffling into the backseat with some books. "My roommates hate you enough as it is, you don't need to go making things worse."

"But I hate them, too, so..." his hand was on the horn again, and they all witnessed a small finger being gestured towards Derek from the front door. There was no face to the finger, so that made Derek laugh harder.

So that was the fun start to the drive. Derek was pleased that she wasn't being silent the whole time. Every now and then, she'd look up from her book to make a comment about his bad driving, and he'd roll his eyes and insult her for being smart or something.

About midway through, they made a pit-stop and put gas. While Sam was in the restroom, Casey opened the door to talk to Derek while he pumped the gasoline. Now was when he saw the look of anxiety in her eyes but he could also see that she was trying to hide it.

"So, I have to apologize." She sighed.

Derek paused momentarily. "Uh...apologize...for _what_, exactly?" Because if anyone were supposed to apologize today, it would be him. He was the one that royally screwed up here, and he thought he'd ruined their relationship/friendship/whatever-it-is they had going on.

"For over reacting...last week over the Maggie thing?" she tucked her chin down and looked at her hands. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad." she shook her head.

"No, you had every right, Casey, don't apologize for that." Derek shook his head, wanting to shake her for even thinking she had to feel bad for her behavior.

"No, I have to. I shouldn't have put you in that situation. I know three years is a long time, and if the roles were reversed, I would've expected you to pay me the same consideration." She looked up at him now, and she really did look genuinely sorry for it.

Derek smiled sadly at her. The look alone broke Casey's heart a little more, and before she could tell him to cheer up, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, too." he shook his head, and took the pump out of the car. "I...I shouldn't have...I don't know...I shouldn't have done a lot..." he leaned against the car, not looking her way, just standing next to her while she sat on the seat, staring at nothing as well.

"Don't ever be sorry for following your heart, Der. You were right to. You were right about me being drama in your life. You were right to choose Maggie. She's what you need." She nodded, a sad smile gracing her face as well.

Derek felt this awful pang in his chest. Was Casey officially giving him up? Please, no...please.  
He tried to find the words to tell her, but his mouth wouldn't move. He stood there, staring straight ahead, not knowing. Just. Not. Knowing.  
Eventually, his words found him, but all he got out was, "I'm never right. I've only just now realized what I need."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about over here." Sam smiled, noting the sorrow on each of their faces, but deciding not to bring it up.

"Just talking about what we're getting the family for Christmas." Derek covered for them. Casey gave him a grateful smile, swinging her legs back into the car and closing her door.

Sam looked at Derek with a questioning expression.

"What?" Derek huffed.

"You're just an idiot. That's all." Sam smiled, shrugging before he opened his door, and hopped in.

"Gee, thanks." Derek said to the empty space in front of him, getting in the car as well.

* * *

Christmas at the McDonald-Venturi's house was typically a crowded event. People from both sides of the family would find a way to invite themselves over, leaving the kids of the house to vacate to the living room and all sleep together.

Derek instantly thanked God that this year wasn't that year. The previous Christmas, he found a way to offend the whole family for overstaying their welcome in his house, and they took the hint, and decided to not return for anymore festivities in the years to come.  
Of course he had to apologize, but he never really got around to it. At this point, he was standing by that decision 100%, because this meant he didn't have to spend every night until New Years sleeping on a stuffy couch or the hardwood floor next to his other siblings.

The plus side to this, was he got his own room to wallow in his own self-pity without anyone watching him.  
Not only did he totally blow it with Casey, she seemed to had completely gotten over him. She was smiling and laughing the whole way home, and he was trying his best, and failing, at keeping up with the jolly conversation.

So here he was. Laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Thinking about Casey.  
What was wrong with him? He was doing just fine before he even thought of any possible feelings for Casey. Suddenly he gets a hint, and spends a little time with her, and suddenly she's his whole world? This wasn't real.  
Of course, who was he kidding? She'd always been his whole world. Everyday, before she woke up, he made sure there was a prank ready for her at any moment. He also always made sure she was okay by passing by her classrooms when he was skipping, or making sure she'd acknowledge him in the hallway by tugging her hair or throwing paperballs at her head. Then once they got to Uni, he made sure she only lived a few blocks from his apartment so she was easily accessed whenever he needed company or he just felt like bothering her. Or even when he grabbed pieces of lunch off of her tray when he'd walk by her during their lunch time at the quad.

It was a day-to-day thing, and he never got tired of it. That was his life, and she was the very center of it every single day. How he didn't figure it out before, was really beyond him. He was usually up to par with things (as much as he liked to play dumb).

By dinner time, he was bounding down the steps when he heard the beginning of a very long conversation that he'd have to suffer through the whole night.

"Casey, I have this friend, and her son is just darling." Nora grinned from ear to ear at her daughter.

"Oh, Case, you'd love him. He really is cute." Lizzie chimed in, nodding her head. Derek threw himself heavily down on his chair, making sure Casey knew he was next to her (which was already easy to tell, considering he was stomping around before he sat). She rolled her eyes at Derek's careless noise, and turned back to her mom with a smile.

"What's his name?" she asked, and Derek heard the uneasiness in her voice.

"Ben. Oh, Casey, he really is quite charming." Nora was ecstatic, beaming even.

"I don't know, mom." Casey shook her head, and picked at her food, refusing to look in Derek's direction. She didn't know why she was afraid of his reaction to this conversation. Why should he care, after all?

"Casey, just one date, please?"

"Yeah, Case, who could it hurt?" Edwin cut in, not even looking up from his huge helping of food, and talking with his mouth full.

"Ew!" Marti punched him when a chunk of his food flew at her.

"Enough." George reprimanded. "Ed, chew, swallow, speak. In that order." To that, Edwin saluted to his father, and remained quiet.

"So what do you say, Casey?" Nora was back in the conversation.

"Mom, I really just want my main focus this holiday is to be home with you guys. I missed you all this semester." She shrugged with a sweet smile. It wasn't a lie. She really did miss them.

"Oh, Case, we don't mind! It's just one date. Plus, he could be the _one_!" Lizzie squealed, squeezing Casey's upper arm with excitement.

"The _one_, huh?" She took a chance and glanced up at Derek, noting his look of displeasure at the conversation. She sighed. What was it to him, anyways? She wasn't going to move on from him by wallowing around the house, now was she?  
She looked down, and swallowed her food, looking back up at her mom with a smile. "Okay."

"Oh, Casey, you'll just love him!" Nora smiled that overly sweet smile that only she could get away with.

"I'll start planning the wedding." Derek said, resting his elbows on the table, looking right at Casey now.

"Be quiet, Derek, you should be happy for your sister!" George called over the table to his eldest son.

"First of all, she's not my sister. Second..." he looked around the table, landing on Casey. "This guy will probably hate her. C'mon, look at her. She's a mess." he gestured at her.

Casey leaned back in her chair, noisily clanking her fork down and crossing her arms. She gave him a challenging look, but said nothing.

"That's very rude of you to say. Casey is perfect." Lizzie cut in, sitting back in her chair as well.

"Far from it!" Derek laughed, and resumed eating.

"Derek, leave Casey alone." George warned. Derek glanced up, not threatened by his father's tone, and shrugged.

"I think Casey is very pretty." Marti cut in. Casey gave her a polite smile. "Ben is pretty, too." she nodded happily.

"She doesn't need a pretty boy, she needs a man who can put up with her awful personality, Smarti." He nodded with a smile at his little sister.

Marti sat for a while, thinking of her brother's words, and then shrugged. "Casey is smart and nice to everyone. He'll love her." she nodded, as if assuring herself.

Derek briefly glared at his little sister for not being on his side. Since when did she stick up for Casey?

"Of course he will." Nora cut the silence that had taken over the table, giving Casey a reassuring nod of her head. Casey smiled weakly at her mother, and looked down at her food, no longer having the appetite to finish it.

"Don't listen to him, Case. The date will go great." Lizzie rubbed Casey's arm for comfort. Casey gave her sister a grateful smile as well, and nodded her head.

"I feel like I'm the only sane person at this table!" Derek spoke incredulously. He knew he was just digging himself a deeper hole, but he didn't want Casey going on that date! "I'm sorry if I'm the only one trying to save everyone from the tears that will more than likely come from this non-existent relationship! Who says he'll even like her?" Derek looked around the table for an answer.

"Well, it isn't so bad to try, Derek." Casey said in a low voice from next to him. She'd remained quiet through the whole conversation, and now the attention was on her. She sat up straighter, and placed her palms calmly on the table.  
"I mean, maybe he won't like me, but the least I could do is try instead of avoiding all the drama that might come of it." she used his word he'd said the previous week when he said he wouldn't be with her. "Sometimes, it's worth it." she added more quietly, looking down at her food.

"That's the spirit, Casey. Don't worry, he is." Lizzie said, trying to lighten the mood from the awkward tension that had just been administered.

Derek remained staring at Casey, knowing the double meaning to her words. The guilt hit him when he saw that she was trying to take control of her emotions, and almost failing. The dinner conversation had steered away from Casey's date, and everyone was in it except for the two oldest.

"Stop looking at me." Casey murmured to him. She hadn't touched her food, only moving it around with her fork while she pretended to listen to the flowing conversation.

"Don't worry, I'm not." he said, still eyeing her. She finally looked up, and met his eyes. He saw that they were pained, and it slightly confused him that she was upset. She was just fine earlier in the car, understanding if anything about him not picking her.

She broke the contact, briefly looking down at her plate, and back to the table. "I'm pretty tired from the drive, may I be excused?"

"Sure, honey, I'll save you dessert." Nora smiled sympathetically at her.

With that, Casey rushed upstairs, and it wasn't until her door closed that everyone's attention was on Derek.  
"What?" he asked stupidly, his mouth still full.

"You owe Casey an apology, Derek." it was George who spoke first.

"Yeah, you were really mean to her. Meaner than usual." Lizzie glared at him.

"What? I mean because I'm being truthful? She should be thanking me." He shook his head.

"No, you should apologize." Marti cut in. "She is always nice to you, and she took care of you while your leg was broken. She didn't have to, you know."

Derek threw down his napkin with a growl, pushing his chair back. "I don't need this." and he didn't listen to the calls of protest as he bound upstairs. He paused momentarily outside his own door, looking over to Casey's. He thumped his head against his door, and walked over to hers, not bothering knocking, just walking in.

She was sitting at the end of her bed, her back facing him. She was going through her luggage, and she paused to look up at him. She looked away quickly once she saw who it was, but he didn't miss the tears that had been running down her cheeks.

He sighed, not talking, and sat at the edge of her bed next to her, his back facing her side. He heard her sniffle, and felt her movement, possibly to wipe away a tear. He sighed, and looked up at the ceiling. He wasn't good at apologies, and although he felt guilty, he wasn't wanting to start now.

"Here to tell me how wrong I am for any guy some more?" She broke the silence.

"Case...I don't know how to do this. How to deal with these feelings." He spoke honestly, because he owed her that much.

"And you don't have to, Derek." she stood up and faced the window, still not looking at him. "You've made your choice, and I'm learning to live with it. Why can't you just be happy for me?"

"How do you know I've made my choice, Casey?" He stood, too, but not bothering to walk over to her. She turned swiftly after he spoke, glaring at him.

"You made your choice when you chose to take her back, Derek. I'm sorry that I'm smart enough to know when it's just not worth it anymore."

"Casey." he said with frustration. "I wasn't even given time to think any of this over. You think it's that easy for me? That I made a decision on a whim and just got rid of you?" He walked up to her and looked down at her, his voice desperate.

"Der, it's not what I think, it's what I know." she shook her head, and walked around him to the door, opening it. "You can leave now."

"We're not done talking." He stood his ground.

"What do you want me to say, Derek? Tell me."

"I want you to be rational!" he threw his hands up, walking towards her, and swiftly shutting the door.

"How am I being irrational?! You chose her, I'm choosing to move on! End of story!"

"Why are you crying, then?"

"Because I was in love with you, Derek!" she yelled, quickly noting there were people downstairs that can easily hear a conversation that she wasn't ready for them to know about. "I'm _still_ in love with you." she said quietly, for the first time ever and looking him in the eyes. "There. I said it. I thought the feeling was mutual, but I was wrong. I'm trying to move on."

Derek stood there with his mouth wide open, not sure how to respond to that confession. Of course he knew, he had to because what the hell was all this about, anyways? It was just..._weird_...hearing her say it out loud.

"It doesn't help that you're down there listing out all the reasons why nobody would want to be with me. I get it, Der, you don't feel the same. Stop rubbing it in." she crossed her arms, and leaned against the door.

Derek was still shocked, but he spoke incredulously when he said, "Case, you're too good for any guy, and that's why I'm acting like this. Everything I said down there was just because I don't want to see you running off into some other guy's arms when I'm still trying to make sense of all these...feelings." He shuddered at the word.

"I told you I was done waiting. I'm here making the decision easier for you."

"I don't need you to do me any fucking favors, Case!" he yelled. "I love you, too, can't you see?! I'm confused about it, too, and I don't know how to act around you, and dammit!" he ranted, frustrated that he couldn't get the right words out, leaning over her his hand over the wall next to her head. "Stop looking at me like that!"

Casey's eyes had gone wide and dreamy once the words_ I love you_ had left his lips. It as uncalled for and spontaneous, and just the perfect thing to say to her to melt away all of her anger and hurt. Up until the words were said, she was positive that Derek had zero feelings for her in the romantic department.  
Of course she knew what the look did to most guys. She knew it was a weakness to most of them, and her previous boyfriends before had become weak little boys when her big blue eyes went all dreamy like that. It was like a mermaid's siren, and Derek was sailor being drawn into those blue orbs.

"Der..." she shook her head, not looking away from his eyes, her arms winding around his neck. "Why couldn't you just say you loved me before? If you needed time..." she shook her head, not finding the words.

"I don't need time anymore, Case. Before I even knew about our feelings, I always felt disgusting jealousy when I heard about a new boyfriend. Just the fact that you accepted dinner with some guy you don't even know will drive me crazy and makes me sick to my stomach."

"So...what now?" she asked with a nervous laugh, still not breaking eye contact with him, even though now their foreheads were pressed together. Derek's arms tightened around her body, and he held her tighter.

"I don't know. Do you want me, still?" he asked softly, but he didn't hear her answer because his lips were attached to hers.  
And it was a great first kiss. Casey was a lot better at it than he would've ever given her credit for. If her lips weren't going to drive him crazy, it was her body. Every curve and every movement fit perfectly with his body, and he didn't know how to handle the passion she was capable of giving him.  
Eventually, they had to come up for air. Casey rested her forehead against his collarbone, squeezing her hands into fists as they held the back of his shirt. One of his hands had wound up in her brunette locks, and the other on her hip.

"Was that answer enough for you?" She giggled lightly against him. He laughed, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm really glad it didn't take me all of Christmas break to get all of that out in the open." he laughed. "That would've made for an awkward vacation."

Casey started walking him to the bed, because she knew his leg still got tired, and she needed an excuse to walk by the door and push it to lock. She sat him down, and straddled his laps, trying not to move too much. She just wanted to be closer to him rather than sitting right next to him.  
His hands rested on her hips, and he'd never been more grateful for leggings before in his life while he let his fingers knead her body.

"I'm glad you got it out, too, because it was getting hard pretending to be happy." she said sadly.

"I'm so sorry...I should've told you sooner. I didn't even go have lunch with Maggie the next day." he shook his head, pressing a kiss to her jaw.

Casey backed up with shock and a smile on her face. "You didn't?"

"Hell no! After you left I thought about everything and I called Mag and told her to fuck off." he laughed at that last part, remembering the list of expletives that Maggie yelled at him over the phone.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Casey whined, her brows knitting together.

"Because I was scared, and confused! Plus, I know you wouldn't have picked up if I called." he laughed. "I was giving it more time. A week is a long ass time." he shook his head.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Casey jumped off his lap, and Derek instantly grabbed a pillow to hide his reaction to Casey's body. She cracked the door open and it was Nora.

"Are you two okay? There was yelling." Her brows knit with concern as she spoke. Casey looked back, paniced at Derek. He only shrugged, and she glared at him for not helping her out.

"We're fine, mom, just talking. I'll go talk to you later, yeah?" Casey nodded reassuringly at her mother. Nora gave her daughter a sympathetic smile and a nod.

"I'll be in my room."

Casey closed the door behind her mother, leaning against it with a sigh of relief. When she opened her eyes, she was glaring at Derek. "Thanks for the help, jerk!" she reached down and threw a slipper at his head. Of course, he dodged it

"Hey, watch it!" he yelled. "What was I supposed to do, tell her I was making out with her daughter while they're all worried about her downstairs?"

"I don't know! What do you want to tell them?" She asked, frustrated, taking a seat next to him.

"Honestly, Case, I just want to enjoy you for a while before we involve the family in on this." He held onto her, and pressed kisses to her neck.

"So, you're definitely my boyfriend, right?" She backed away from him, giving him a quizzical look. "Because I'm not going to go through with this unless you're in it 100%."

"Yes! God, what else do you need?" He groaned, throwing himself back on the bed.

Casey smiled, and leaned over him, placing her hand on the opposite side of his head. She leaned lower and pressed a kiss to his lips softly. "That's all I need. Is for you to be in it with me."

"Cool,. Now, mount me, woman!" he motioned to his hips.

"De-rek!" she smacked him with a pillow, though she was giggling, because she finally got the guy, and he wanted her just as much as she'd wanted him for all these years. It was about damn time, too.  
She really owed Sam a huge thank you for all of this.

* * *

**Yayy. Honestly, we all saw them ending up together. I'm too into happily ever after. But I also love drama, so...**

**I was actually going to make it longer, with Casey actually going out with Ben and Derek being rude to him when he dropped her off. But that was a lot of work, and it was an even cheesier ending than this one. Believe me, it wasn't pretty. So I chose the lesser of two evils and used this ending.**

**Shorter, to the point, but still with that touch of drama in it.**

**I have no idea when I'll be updating my other stories, but I'm working on it (in my mind). Awful writer's block and whatnot.**

**If y'all have any story suggestions for one-shots, by all means, message me and I'll try my best. I do love projects:).**

**Thank you guys so much for the love! I really appreciate it. This story is actually my only story to get so many reviews per chapter. So thank you thank you thank you.**

**Anyhow, review this and let me know how I did!**


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